The Samuel Project

I thoroughly enjoyed this indie film and have already purchased tickets to see it again at the Jewish Film Festival on April 28 in Los Angeles. The story is deep and serious, but at the same time funny - very funny! The relationships between Eli and his grandfather (Hal Linden), Eli and his father, Eli and Kasim, Kasim and his father are so realistic and touching, with lots of humor going on between the generations and the friends. Ryan Ochoa's performance as Eli was simply outstanding and he's truly made his mark in this film! Eli's interpretation of how his grandfather escaped Nazi Germany and his telling of the story through his school art project is so creative and realistic, combining animation/modern technology with such a heartfelt story from the past. Hal Linden delivered a magnificent performance as Samuel, in both the serious scenes as well as the more lighthearted scenes. This movie is definitely worth checking out, and talks to people of all ages.